Following L’s obsession with the word, “Zamboni,” which she learned during a trip to the local ice rink last week, Powergirl and I have been anticipating eagerly the moment when our daughter graduates to the next level of self-expression.
Considering the developments of this afternoon, I’d say a celebration is in order today.
For the first time [...]

Since the day L was born, I’ve envisioned myself as a “cool” Dad, the kind of guy who’d escort his kid(s) to a Taylor Swift concert and allow the purchase of the same silly-but-trendy stuff that all the other kids are wearing (those new Silly Bandz bracelets, for instance).
Especially on the subject of language, because [...]

Just a few days shy of her 16-month birthday, L’s vocabulary continues to grow at breakneck speed. Today, for instance, while out at our favorite restaurant, she looked up at a wreath on the wall and said, “Wreath.” How the kid learned that one, I have no clue.
Interestingly, though, one of the problems she’s having [...]

At this point in her young life, L’s vocabulary is growing exponentially every day. Among the highlights of today: Llama, crow and (most amazingly, considering I love whales) beluga.
Powergirl and I would love to take credit for all of these new words; I’d love to state in this public forum that I’ve read all the [...]

L’s been babbling for months, but today, on the eve of her 15-month birthday, the girl really started talking up a storm.
This morning, she picked up an animal flashcard with the letter G and said, “Gecko.” Then, while Powergirl was making coffee, L looked up at the coffee machine and said, “coffee.” While counting grapes [...]

My little girl has a new favorite word: Booty.
Yes, she’s saying it in reference to her derriere. And yes, when she says it, she wiggles her tiny behind like a cat about to pounce. For most of the day today, she said the word roughly 200 times an hour. The house has sounded like that [...]

L reached another major milestone today: She started saying her own name.
In the scheme of things, this wasn’t much of a surprise; the kid is adding three to four new words to her vocabulary every day. But, as her father, the fact that she now knows what I and her mother chose to name her [...]

Today is Independence Day, which made it a fitting occasion for L to spend breakfast flexing her rapidly developing free will.
First, she demanded to share my bran muffin (the muffin, this nugget of goodness from our local bakery technically is dubbed “Berry Beneficial,” and has blueberries and blackberries inside). Then, after I complimented her for [...]